A Story of the West by Susan Spence

From Amazon... "Matt Daly arrives in Montana Territory with his father John in 1880, eager to begin his life as a cattle rancher.
He thinks life will be hard but simple. However, things get complicated quickly.
First, Matt falls in love when he meets Lavina Lavold, a young woman who has journeyed west with her family from Illinois. She shares his zest for life, and it doesn't hurt that she's very attractive. But it's not clear if the family is just passing through or if they will settle there.
Then there are rustlers who steal cattle on the vast prairie. Though it's dangerous, Matt joins a band of ranchers intent on capturing and punishing the criminals.
Bully Buehler, a neighboring rancher only concerned with profit, causes the most trouble. He thinks the Daly ranch would be an attractive addition to his land holdings, and he's ready to try to take it.
Join Matt as he pursues love and adventure and in A Story of the West."

I can't start this review without mentioning how absolutely gorgeous the cover of this novel is! I live in the West... Colorado, actually and this cover perfectly illustrates the beauty that is the West!

A Story of the West is not a "sanitized" western, as some are. It is a gritty, sometimes difficult novel to read. But, it is filled with characters who, I believe, are true-to-life and who endured in the sometimes harsh conditions that was the West at that time.

I appreciated the historically accurate research that the author wove into her story. Even though I've lived in the West for a long time... I learned a little about this vast and beautiful area. It was, sometimes, written as descriptive passages but, sometimes, it was underlying. I love that style of writing... I don't always need to know that a history lesson is being taught. It's a skilled writer who can incorporate research without turning a novel into a textbook.

Ms. Spence was wonderful at writing dialogue but, I felt she really excelled at the narration. A Story of the West was told to me through the little scenes and details that, put together, created a tale of hardship and love but, ultimately one of people just trying to live the best life possible.

~~Thanks to the author, Susan Spence, for an autographed copy as well at Dorothy at
www.pumpupyourbook.com/ for including into the blog tour for A Story of the West in exchange for my fair and honest review.